Danganronpa: Paths to Hope and Despair
by supertinagirl6
Summary: Sequel/Prequel to Danganronpa: Hope Reborn. After being taken into Future Foundation custody, both Leon Kuwata and Kano Sachio reveals the tales behind what led them to their current positions. The tale of a married couple Hisae and Shiro Saisei, trying to survive a world full of despair alongside and eight year-old Kano Sachio. Will they be filled with hope or despair in the end?
1. Chapter 1 - Future Foundation

Danganronpa: Paths to Hope and Despair

Chapter 1

Only a sigh filled the air as Makoto Naegi stared at the files laid out on the table before him. His hand ran through his shaggy brown hair, managing to miss his ahoge, out of disturbance. The files before him were none other than missing person reports on the nine teens found dead inside the factory where a horrible event from the past was recreated. It broke his heart to see pictures of teenage boys and girls smiling brightly, ready to make their futures, only to see pictures of the gruesome states their bodies were left in next to them.

The one that disturbed the man in his late thirties the most was none other than the one teen that was already accepted and formerly attending Hope's Peak Academy; Isas Ken. He could recall the late nineteen year-old often sharing his enthusiasm and admiration for what he wanted to accomplished and hoped to achieve his dream to become a well known racer, a dream that would go unfilled.

"Makoto, are you still with us?" a stern feminine voice asked.

His hazel eyes immediately glanced upward to see a woman with lavender hair pulled back into a ponytail and purple eyes, wearing a red and black dress suit. That woman was Kyoko Kirigiri Naegi, his wife and fellow survivor of the Hope's Peak Academy killing game.

"Yeah." Makoto managed to reply, letting out another sigh before continuing,"I'm just kind of upset these kids had their future stolen from them. I wish I had noticed Kano's psychotic nature early. I can't believe I allowed myself to be taken in by his false kind and caring personality. He manipulated me just like Junko manipulated others. If I had seen through his act, maybe I could have prevented all of this."

"Makoto, you can't blame yourself." Kyoko replied in a typical stern tone, "Kano Sachio knew exactly what he was doing. He may be psychotic, but he's cunning as well. That's one of the things he learned from his family, he had learned how to easily put on an act; a skill that any businessman, especially the Ultimate Businessman would require. We should be lucky that we got that call from the group of kids that managed to stumble upon his plans in the company building. Because of them, we had arrived just in time to save the remaining six."

The young man fell silent at the mention of the survivors, his mind drifting back to the memory when the six teens had emerged from the abandoned factory. When arriving on the scene, he expected to find a group of teens that had been traumatized from their horrible experience. He never could have predicted that one of the survivors would be Leon Kuwata, the first killer to be executed in Junko's killing game. Questions raced through his mind, even after they had got the survivors settled in Future Foundation headquarters for recovery and questioning. While he still wanted to know exactly how Leon managed to return to the living, especially due to the red-head's explanation being a bit confusing with the talk of ghosts, he mostly wanted to know what had happened to the teen since his death.

Makoto easily knew that with Leon's age that he had to been born approximately nine months after his death. But that would mean that while he had been busy over the course of the years trying to help restore peace to the world, Leon had been alive, living an untold life. He wanted answers; he wanted to know exactly what kind of life his friend has been living over the years. He was stirred from his thoughts by the sound of door opening. Twisting his body to look back, he managed to see a tanned woman with brown hair tied into ponytail wearing a white tank top, blue shirts, and an old red athlete jacket tied around her waist enter the room carrying medical reports. Trailing behind her was a pale nervous woman with ratty black hair, dressed in a white nurse's uniform. Makoto easily knew these two individuals to be Aoi Asahina, Hina for short, and Mikan Tsumiki.

"Hey Makoto! Hey Kyoko!" Hina greeted as she laid the medical reports on the table, "Just figured I would bring you guys up to date on Kano Sachio's condition."

"Is he stable enough for interrogation?" Kyoko asked, hiding away the venomous tone that threatened to come forth at the mention of the man she considered despicable.

"I'm afraid not." Mikan responded in a nervous and small voice, "I did my best to patch up his wounds. His failed execution left him such a devastated state, both psychically and mentally. I had run out of the room apologizing because he told me that I looked like one of the Monokuma units."

Tears threatened to burst forth from the nurse's eyes as she whimpered "I'm so sorry for running out on him like that. He's delirious and as a nurse I shouldn't have left him. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Upon hearing this, Makoto smiled nervously and immediately responded "Mikan, we've been over this, you shouldn't apologize so much. Ever since you approached me with the request to apply at Hope's Peak Academy as the school's nurse, you've been a great help to me and the students. I know you're scared of turning back into the person Junko forced you to become, but you shouldn't be. You even helped us treat the survivors and perform excellent autopsies on the victims. So can you please not doubt yourself so much?"

The black-haired woman nodded her head whilst wiping away a few stray tears.

"I suppose interrogation will have to wait." the detective stated with an audible sigh, "Moving onto other matters, I think it's time we help the survivors recover mental wise. Byakuya and Toko are still questioning the five teens that informed us of the killing game's existence; so they won't be able to do it. There's also the fact two members have specifically requested that for Isamu Hama and Shizko Yoko be taken into their care for recovery. I have since granted their request since one of them happened to be a relative. That leaves Mineko Akasuki, Naoko Yukio, Toshiro Riichi, and Leon... Saisei to be decided then.

"I know that's his rebirth family name but can't we just refer him as Leon Kuwata? It's less confusing that way." Makoto asked, still finding it hard to remember that fact.

Kyoko nodded her head in understanding, knowing that it was hard to refer to their friend by a different family name without accidentally referring to his one from his past life. Deciding to settle the matter, she decided she would take Mineko under her care. From the survivor's accounts of the killing game, she learned the music composer had been revealed as the one responsible for an indirect murder and was nearly successfully executed if not for Leon's actions. She felt the best course of action was to insure that the teenage girl was calm from this revelation and not suffering from survivor's guilt.

The moment she made her decision, she heard Hina immediately request for Naoko to be taken into her care, his existence having reminded her of her deceased little brother. She saw no objection to this, believing it would be a good healing experience for both Naoko and Hina. That only left Toshiro and Leon to be decided upon.

"Kyoko, I think I would like to take Leon into my custody." Makoto spoke up, surprising everyone but the detective herself, "I want to talk to him and find out what has happened. I feel like talking about it will help both of us come to terms. I thought he was gone forever along with everyone else that died in that horrible killing game. Yeah reincarnation is a thing, but you don't usually come back as the exact same person you were before your death. Leon said his previous life memories are still in tact, that means there are two set of memories in his head. I know of the first, I want to know of the second."

"Are you sure, Makoto?" Kyoko asked with a raised brow, "I know you want answers but can you balance that and your responsibilities at the same time? It's clear you'll have to spend a few days with Leon."

"It will be easy for me to contact the parents of the victims and talk to Leon. As for the academy I will have to leave it in your care. I don't think Leon is ready to step foot back into that academy, especially with his PTSD to account for. Trust me, Kyoko, this is for the best." he ensured his wife.

The lavender-headed woman inhaled deeply before agreeing to her husband's terms. Over the years she knew the thirty-nine year-old, she learned how deadset he is with his decision making with the help of the hope he continues to carry. If he insisted that he can battle his duties and take care of the baseball player for a few days, then she had no choice but to grant his wishes. She knew it was the best decision and should he start to struggle with duties, she will step in like she always had done.

Leon grunted as he nervously ran his hands through his hair. It had been a few days since they were taken into Future Foundation's custody. Many thoughts and worries buzzed around in his mind. He didn't know what would happen to him and the rest of the survivors; he had hoped once they escaped the factory they would finally get to go home. But much to his disappointment, Makoto insisted they all remain in Future Foundation headquarters for recovery and questioning.

"To think, we escape from one building we were forced to stay in only to be stuck in yet another one." he grumbled in annoyance.

Having heard the teen's grumbles, Mineko spoke up "I'm sure they'll let us go home soon. These are your friends, Leon. They just want to make sure the killing game hadn't shaken us up too much."

"Though Leon has a point, Mineko." Naoko piped up whilst nervously jogging in place, "We were trapped in that factory for nearly a month. They're kind of making things worse by not letting us go home when that was the one thing on everyone's minds during that nightmare. I'm still worried about what Mono- I mean Kano Sachio told me about my mom. Not being able to go check on her has made me increasingly nervous."

The music composer pursed her lips as she allowed her green eyes to glance down at the floor. She didn't want to worry the others due to promising herself to never be a burden again, but she was worried as well. She couldn't understand why Future Foundation had insisted against them all being returned to their homes. She and her companions had already told everything they could about the killing game Kano forced them to play, she didn't any reason for them to remain in the organization's custody.

Leon frowned slightly upon seeing the teen's guilty expression, he knew she was simply trying to keep everyone's spirits up. He opened his mouth to give her a comforting response, but found himself stopped by the sound of the door opening. He and the rest of his friends turned their attention toward the doorway to see Makoto, Kyoko, and Hina had entered the room with four other individuals. The red-head immediately felt his body tense in response at the sight of the brown-headed man with an ahoge. While it was true he had come to terms with his past with the help of Sayaka, he still experienced those brief moments of regret and guilt.

"What brings the head of Future Foundation and his lackeys to grace us with our presence?" Toshiro asked before receiving a harsh elbow jab to his side from Shizko.

"If you must know, you're all being assigned to a Future Foundation member for recovery. Having experienced killing games ourselves, we know what kind of effect such a deadly experience can have on the mind." Kyoko answered in her usual stern tone.

"Mental recovery, you mean we have to stay here longer?" Isamu asked with a frown.

"We know you all want to go home desperately after such experience, but we just want to make sure you're okay." Makoto insisted, "It should only be a few days, then you'll all finally get to go home."

Leon clenched his teeth in frustration. He knew the hopeful man meant well, but he hated how he could quite fully grasp the situation. During the killing game, they had insured themselves over and over again that it would only be a few more days before their hell would finally end. He knew Makoto was only doing the same protocols Future Foundation had done with the Hope's Peak Academy survivors. But the difference there back then, Makoto and the others had no choice but to stay with Future Foundation due to the Tragedy stealing away their homes. For Leon and the others, the world was peaceful and their homes still intact, nothing was stopping them from being returned to back to their worried families.

While the decision still angered the red-head, it was a decision he had chosen to accept. Besides, he knew Makoto was nothing like Kano or Junko. He may be keeping them away from their homes, but he knew it was because of misguided good intent rather than malicious intentions like the two demented masterminds.

"Now that everyone understands the situation, we'll be telling you which members will be taking custody over each of you. First is Isamu Hama. You'll be under the custody of Kazuichi Soda and, while he's not a Future Foundation member, Gundham Tanaka."

Standing next to the detective was a man in his forties with messy hot pink hair wearing a black beanie, wearing a yellow jumpsuit that with the top half hanging around his waist and a black shirt. He was grinning widely, visible showing his razor sharp teeth. That man was the one know as Kazuichi Soda. Next to him was a man with slicked back black hair that had a large grey streak in it, wearing a royal attire consisting of a long back coat and pants with a white button up shirt and a large red scarf wrapped around his neck. He glared at the group of teens with his gray and red eye, making it clear he was the one name Gundham Tanaka.

"Hey, soul cousin!" Kazuichi greeted happily.

"Soul cousin? Isamu, why is he calling you that?" Naoko asked out of confusion.

Isamu groaned in response as she replied "Remember when I mentioned that my cousin's husband is a dork? That is said dork."

"Oh come on, I'm not a dork. If anything the dork is Gundham over here." the mechanic stated whilst jabbing his thumb toward the animal breeder.

"May I remind you that I am the King of Darkness. If you want your life spared you will not be referring to me as a 'dork'." Gundham snarled in reply.

"Man, why do you have to remind me you're the one married to Miss Sonia." the hot pink haired man grumbled, annoyed at the fact his teenage crush had not returned his feelings.

Ignoring the two men's bickering, Kyoko continue to announce the assigned members. She revealed that Nekomaru Nidai, a big muscled man wearing a blue track suit, had requested for Shizko to be take under his care, wanting to train her so she can overcome her heart disease with training like he had. Her purple eyes glanced over to the sculptor to see her staring in fear. She could easily understand why the teen was so frightened; nearly everyone is easily intimidated by the team manager due to his appearance. But she had confidence the teen would warm up to him, especially with how over friendly he tended to be toward others.

The next person she listed was Yasuhiro Hagakure, a man with brown dreadlocks and glasses, wearing an unbuttoned black suit, would be taking Toshiro into his custody due to no one else being left to do the job. Glancing slightly at the young director, she almost swore she saw his right eye twitching in response, but chose to ignore it. Finishing off the list, she announced that Mineko would be taken under her custody and Leon would be under Makoto's.  
Leon's face froze when he heard who would be taking him under custody.

Out of the four survivors that were available for selection, he didn't know why Makoto had chosen him. Confusion filled his mind as he watched each of his friends leave with the member they were charged with, resulting in him to be left in the room alone with Makoto. His heart pounded in a mixture of fear and nervousness, forcing him to swallow a lump that managed to develop in his throat. Not a single word uttered from his mouth as he watched the brown-haired man sit down in the chair next to him. out of reflex, he flinched slightly when the older man smiled slightly at him.

"Leon, you don't need to be so nervous. We already made it clear that I don't blame you for Sayaka's death. Junko had forced both you and Sayaka into a horrible scenario, but that was then." he ensured in a comforting tone.

"I know, I know." Leon sighed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, "It's just not an easy thing to get over. Anyways, why did you choose to take me into custody? Is there a reason for that?"

Makoto nodded his head before explaining his curiosity to know what had happened to the nineteen year-old after his execution.  
The red-head let out another sigh, leaning his head backwards to stare at the ceiling.

"Right. Figures you would want the whole story. Guess I need to start with the beginning, starting with my parents. To be specific, my rebirth parents, Hisae and Shiro Saisei. Pretty much from what my mom told me, the tale begins the day after I was executed for the whole world to see."


	2. Chapter 2 - World Full of Despair

Chapter 2

 **9 Months Before Rebirth**

Brown eyes glanced up at the red sky above. Sitting on the ground, outside of and abandoned boarded up shop was a young red-headed woman in her mid twenties. Her hands were clutched nervously around a hand gun as she continued to stare up at the sky, trying to figure out when life went wrong. It was hard to believe she was full of hope and happiness a mere two years ago, thrilled at the concept of starting a life with her boyfriend of three years. Life seemed like any other day then, but no her she was cowering in fear whilst dressed in dirty white blouse, tattered black skirt, and brown boots.

She remained on constant guard until she heard the loud sound of glass shattering come from within the shop. A frightened gasp managed to escape the young woman's mouth as her jittery hands scrambled to readjust themselves around the gun's handle. It only took her a few seconds to see a young man with short, shaggy black hair and pale-blue eyes emerge from the shop whilst carrying a bag full of food.

"Crap, I didn't mean to knock over that jar in there." the man grumbled as he dusted a few glass shards off his dirty brown jacket, "Hisae, did we managed to attract anyone with that sound?"

Hisae frantically shook her head in response, causing the ahoge on the top of her head to bop a bit. Unfortunately as she finished her response, the sound of wild cackling filled the air. Her head darted toward the sound to see two men and one woman armed with crowbars, bats, and guns. Her eyes widened in gear when she noticed their faces were painted black and white with a red lightning bolt symbol painted over their left eyes. She immediately had come to familiarize herself with those colors and symbol, learning how both to hate and fear those features.

The dark-headed man clenched his teeth before shoving the bag of food into his companion's arm. His pale-blue eyes narrowed as he armed with the shot gun he carried on his back.

"Hisae, I'll hold these freaks off! Get to safety, now!" he commanded as he quickly cocked his gun.

"But Shiro, if I leave you then you'll be overtaken!" she yelled out of worry.

"Yeah but I'd rather have only one of us die here than both, now go!" Shiro commanded in a tone filled with anger and panic.

Hisae bit her lip, her body remaining still for a few seconds out of hesitance before finally she took off running. She didn't dare look back as the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, fearing that if she did she would only be greeted with the sight of her husband's death. So with that in mind, she kept running. The red-headed woman had no idea how far she had ran or how long, having barely paid any attention to her surroundings nor to her legs aching in exhaustion. She took in deep and heavy breathes as she began slowing down, hoping she had finally reached safety.

Glancing at her surroundings, she took notice of a worn down apartment complex. Her breath hitched as she took a quick glance around, making sure there were no despair filled killers like the ones she encountered before. Although the idea was risky, she hoped no one would suspect her hiding there, believing they would opt to search more secluded structures over more obvious locations. Making sure she remained as quiet as possible with her gun ready to fire, she entered the apartment complex. Shallow breaths escaped her mouth as she made her way up a few sets of stairs. The wooden steps creaked underneath her, but no other sounds gave any indication of her not being alone in the building.

After climbing the last few set of stairs, she immediately opened up the closest door to her. Inside she noticed the apartment room looked like a wreck with broken furniture, torn curtains, and ripped rugs. It was clear anyone that lived in the apartment no longer occupied it. Decided it was her best bet for shelter, she picked up the broken chair and pushed it against the door to provide as a temporary barricade. Hisae made her way into the living room area. Once there, she noticed a single television set that while slightly banged up, still remained in tact.

"I wonder." she muttered to herself as she knelt down and pressed the power button.

Within second she was greeted with the sight of a black and white bear taunting a group of teens. Hisae's body tensed as her eyes stared intensely at the screen.

"So even this television set is airing the killing game. No matter where we go, it's being shown to everyone and everywhere. Those poor kids, I don't want to imagine what anyone seeing their loved ones trapped there is feeling right now. It's a horrible thought, seeing your child trapped where they will either be murdered or-" she started but unable to continue.

She clasped her hand over her mouth with her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling. The memories of the first execution were still fresh in her mind. Her heart couldn't help but ache for the terrified teenage boy that wanted to do nothing more than live. It was hard to believe she had watched his death unfold on the screen before her very eyes. She was stirred from her thoughts when she felt her cellphone vibrate within her pocket. The red-head didn't even have to guess to know it was her husband calling her. Without hesitation, she flipped open the phone and held it against her ear.

"I... I managed... I managed to deal with the attackers." she could her the young man pant, clearly out of breath, "Where are you?"

"I've taken shelter in an abandoned apartment complex and boarded myself up in one of the rooms. I seem to be alone thankfully." she responded, relief carrying in her tone from the fact her husband was still alive.

"Alright well sit tight and keep yourself safe. I'll try to reach you." Shiro finished before finally hanging up.

Hisae let out an exhausted and tired sigh as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. Her eyes glanced toward the screen when she heard the familiar demented laughter of the robotic bear. She had grown both to hate and fear that bear. Nearly every day she encounters a new maniac filled with despair to the point they try to make themselves look like their icon of despair. It was that bear she blamed for being responsible for the living hell she now currently resides in. Suddenly without warning, she felt a wave of nausea overwhelm her.

Out of panic, she quickly searched for the nearest bathroom. She managed to reach it in time before finally throwing up. She emerged from the restroom a few minutes later, coughing at the stinging sensation that now filled her throat. She considered it odd why she suddenly felt so sick. Searching her memories, she couldn't recall eating any rotten or bad food that would make her sick. But no matter how much she searched, her mind couldn't come up with an answer. Deciding to push her curiosity away for the moment, she made her way back to the living room area.

Many hours had passed that Hisae remained in the apartment, waiting for her husband to arrive. Worry filled her as she curled up on the floor with the killing game still being broadcast on the TV behind her. Many worrying and paranoid scenarios filled her mind as she considered what was taking Shiro so long. She worried he may have got lost or he may have successfully been killed by an attacker. All these thoughts seemed to fill her with despair. Her body tensed at that word she had grown to despise. It was a common feeling every day for her ever since the horrible event that took place at Hope's Peak Academy one year ago.

The news broadcast remained fresh in her mind to this day. Staring in utter horror at the footage showing many teens jumping out of windows and running into flames after committing a mass murder on the school grounds. It was a horrible event that refused to leave her mind and only filled her with despair. She let out another tired sigh until, suddenly, she heard a loud crash. The red-head immediately sat up with a terrified gasp. The crash had come from inside the apartment. Grabbing a hold of the handgun that lay beside her, she started searching for the source of the sound.

The young woman constantly berated herself for not checking the area better as she searched for the sound of the crash. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for the sound of something moving inside the single closet. Her heart pounded in fear as she reached a shaky hand out to the door handle. Holding her breath, she jerked open the door and aimed her gun. But what she saw in the closet surprised her, inside was a young boy at the age of eight with spiky purple hair and blue eyes.

"A boy?" she questioned out of confusion, her grip on her gun loosening slightly.

"Please don't kill me!" the child whimpered, "I was hiding in here from the horrible people and you showed up."

Hisae felt like her heart was near breaking from seeing the child staring up at her in fear. Though one thing that puzzled her was that, while fear was painted on the boy's face, his eyes seemed strangely calm. She didn't know if this was because he was partially relieved at finding a kind face, or if the child wasn't as terrified as he was trying to make himself out to be. It only took her a few seconds before, with a bit of hesitance, she put away the gun and knelt down before the child.

"It's alright, you just scared me is all. Poor thing, you must be scared to death." she ensured as she held out her hand.

She watched as the child cautiously stared at her hand before accepting it, allowing her to pull him out of the closet.

"So were you separated from your parents? A horrible question, I know but it has become the expected during these trying times." she asked as they made their way into the living room area.

"I haven't seen my parents since the killings started over a year ago." the child confessed as he sat down in the floor, "I was left in the care of two strangers that were combat experienced. Though told me to stay at their hideout, but I got worried and went out to search for them. Then those crazy people showed up, forcing me to run and hide."

Hisae pursed her lip's as she listened to the boy's tale. She didn't know why, but she could sense the child wasn't being completely honest with her. Once again the feelings of uncertainty overwhelmed her. First was the strange calm look in the eight year-old's eyes, now the fact the boy's voice seemed to imply he was lying about some of the details of his situation. She didn't know what to make of it, but decided to chalk it up as the child simply being cautious. After all, she had just met him. Suddenly her thoughts were cut off by the sound of knocking on the door.

At first she was frightened, until she heard the muffled voice of her husband coming from the other side. Her heart raced in relief and happiness as she moved the broken chair and swung open the door. On the other side, she could see her husband panting out of exhaustion, one arm leaning on the door frame and the other pressed against his stomach. A pang of guilt shot through her heart when she easily noticed the blood covering the young man's clothes.

"Quick, get me inside." Shiro rasped, prompting his wife to snap out of her shock.

Understanding that her husband needed help, she walked him over to the wall before boarding up the door once again.  
Shiro let out a raspy cough as he lifted his arm away from his stomach to reveal a nasty bleeding wound. His breathing was heavy and his entire body ached in pain. In an attempt to distract himself, he allowed his eyes to roam around the room. That was when he managed to spot the purple-headed child staring at him. He face grimaced when he noticed the strange look of fascination that shined in the child's eyes.

"Hisae, who's the kid?" he managed to croak out, not daring to take his eyes off the strange child.

"I found him hiding in here. Poor thing was separated from his comrades." his wife explained as she knelt down next to him with bandages in hand, "I figure it wouldn't hurt if he stays with us until he finds his companions again."

A small smile managed to form on Shiro's face. He couldn't blame his wife for her kind and caring nature. It was a feature he always loved about her and something he believed a feature that was desperately needed during a time of despair. But still, he didn't feel comfortable around the child. From staring at his eyes, he could swore he could see insanity and excitement in those eyes. It almost seemed like the eight year-old was excited to see him in such a battered and bruised state.

Silence continued to linger in the air until, finally, the child asked "How did you get hurt?"

It seemed like an innocent enough question the the black-haired man, so he decided there would be no harm in answering.

"Encountered those weird freaks that pretty much praise that stupid bear. His face has been appearing a lot more lately and more people wishing to carry out despair in his name have appeared. I was forced to kill them because I knew they had no intention of letting me live. Unfortunately one of them managed to nick me with their crowbar." he explained.

"That isn't a nick. I hate when you try to downplay these thing, Shiro." Hisae stated in a stern tone.

Shiro did his best to grin bashfully in slight embarrassment, but it was quickly replaced with a hiss of pain as his wife starting removing his shirt.

"I wish I could have seen it." the purple-headed child sighed, "Seeing you fight against those psychotic killers to the death had to been an amazing sight. makes me wonder what's going through everyone's mind during such a conflict."

The red-headed woman couldn't help but pause in her actions at the child's words. The way he causally talked about her husband's encounter with their attacks worried her. In her mind, he sounded nearly insane as the people proudly declaring themselves as the Ultimate Despair. But those people she had came to understand had lost their sanity to despair; yet the child before her didn't seem to exhibit any kind of loss of sanity. Her brown eyes glanced over to her husband to see the same concern filling his pale-blue eyes. She understood he was just as unnerved and worried for the strange child's nature.

A part of her considered leaving the child behind due to his strange fascination with conflict, yet the other didn't want to be that heartless. After all, she had already told him that he could stay with them until he was reunited with his comrades. Deciding to push her worries away so she can tend to her husband's wounds, she began unraveling the bandages.

Many hours passed by as the three remained hidden in the apartment complex. Shiro's eyes were narrowed as he watched from the apartment window. With his wounds still fairly fresh, he knew venturing back out in the city would be an unwise idea. But at the same time, he knew they couldn't remain in one spot for long unless they wanted to risk being discovered by more insane attackers. He inhaled deeply from his nose as his grip on his shot gun tightened. From his window view, he could see the small number of survivors running through the streets seeking safety. Some he saw had traversed the streets successfully, others he had seen were seen ambushed and killed by the insane despair worshipers.

As much as the young man hated to admit it,he had since grown numb to the display and meaning of despair. He had witnessed so many people die ever since the Tragedy began that he had come to accept it. The one thing that kept pushing him forward was the drive to keep his wife safe. Recalling his wife, he turned to see her eyes glued on the television screen along side the young child. His teeth slightly clenched as he could clearly hear the demented bear's taunts come from the TV. He didn't have to guess to know they were watching the killing game. It was yet another event he had come to expect in his life.

A sigh managed to escape, one both of exhaustion and confusion. He didn't understand why the red-headed woman was choosing to torture herself by watching those group of kids kill themselves. It pained him to remember the sight of her sobbing the previous day, unable to tear her eyes away from the battered and bloody boy chained to the pole showcased on the television screen. The fact she was still watching the killing game after such a gruesome display puzzled him. He couldn't even began to imagine what was running through the young woman's mind as she watched the group of teens on screen.

Believing he had looked away from the window for far too long, he started to turn his head back until heard the purple-headed child ask "What is that guy's deal?"

"Which guy are you referring to? If it's Monokuma then-" Hisae started to ask.

But much to her surprise, she found herself interrupted by the child replying "No not the bear. I mean that Makoto guy. Why is he even trying to be friends with the others? I mean he did lose his dumb friend to that wannabe cool guy. Yet he's still putting his faith in others without considering that faith nearly got him framed for murder."

The young woman was stunned by the child's words. Turning her attention to the screen, she could see Makoto trying to discuss a plan of action to his companions.

"Well he just wants to hold onto hope during such a despairful time. Because if he doesn't cling onto hope during such a hopeless situation, who will? It's his only way to fight back against the Mastermind pulling Monokuma's strings. It's that kind of hope that pushes me to continue watching this horrible killing game. I hold onto the hope those kids will survive. I don't want anymore of them to die." she answered.

She ended up swallowing hard when she felt a lump form in her throat. She wanted the group of teens to survive and live out their futures. Well, at least what remained of their futures in such a despairful world.

"Huh, so hope can be a source of conflict too. Conflict of hope and despair." the purple-headed teen muttered to himself, "Then I guess I'll be rooting for that Makoto guy. Keeping on hoping Makoto guy!"

Shiro frowned whilst silent shaking his head. Without a word, he turned his attention back to his window. He didn't want to confess to his wife out of fear of breaking her heart, but he wasn't convinced any of the killing game participants would survive. In his mind, no one could truly win a game that resulted in nothing but death. He had no hope for any of those kids trapped in the school, believing the death of the pop star idol would only be the beginning of many more murders to come. In his eyes, there was no such thing as hope in a despair filled world.


	3. Chapter 3 - Birth of a Mastermind

Chapter 3

"Wait..." Makoto began, prompting Leon to pause in his tale, "Is that child who I think it is?"

The red-head's eyes flickered toward ground as he answered "If you're thinking that child is Kano, you're probably right. During the final trial, Kano admitted I was a special case when it came to who was selected for the killing game, he had only chosen me because he had met my parents as a child. My mom would have a hard time believeing the child she wrote off as innocent would turn out to be a psychopathic individual that wanted to bring back the hell she endured through."

The brunette pursed his lips. Even he had a hard time coming to terms with Kano's actions. Memories filled his mind of seeing the purple-haired teen smiling and laughing with friends, not showing a hint of the dark thoughts that lurked beneath the surface. In a way, he truly was like Junko Enoshima, a manipulator that fooled everyone with an award winning smile. Makoto sighed as he slowly clenched and opened his hands, reminding himself to remain calm. After all, he had hope that the Future Foundation would ensure the insane man wouldn't bring harm to anyone else.

"Speaking of Kano," Leon spoke up, stirring the older man from his thoughts, "I heard he miraculously survived his execution."

The teen's pale-blue eyes hardened as his body tensed up.

"Is it wrong to admit I'm torn? A part of me just wants to finish the job, just to strangle him as he's begging for his life, giving him a taste of the suffering he put me and my friends through." he admitted.

His body began to tremble as his breathing quickened. He didn't want to kill; yet the thought seemed too alluring and tempting. The nineteen year-old couldn't help but be frightened of his dark thoughts. He had promised he would never let such thoughts fill his mind after receiving a second chance at life, but unfortunately he was finding that thought process difficult to repel. A shuddered breath escaped his mouth with his hands clenched so tightly that his fingernails threatened to break skin.

Immediately noticing his friend was starting to slip into a panic attack, Makoto leaned close and said "Leon, you don't need to panic. You're in a safe place, you're not in Hope's Peak and you're not in the factory. Just take deep breaths."

The teen numbly nodded his head whilst his body continued to tremble. He inhaled sharply at first, but managed to let out a slow exhale. He kept taking in deep breaths as he constantly reminded himself of his surroundings; he was in neither Junko's nor Kano's killing game. It took a few minutes, but he finally managed to calm down. With his head still hanging low, he slightly flinched when he felt Makoto lay a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

"I can only have a glimpse at what must be running through mind. I never did once consider how I and the others would have felt if Junko had lived in the end. You and the other five survivors are clearly disturbed the man that forced you all through so much torment still lives. But you know Leon, killing Kano will solve nothing." the brunette said in a soothing tone.

Leon's body shuttered as he nodded in agreement. Killing Kano wouldn't erase the mental scars he had left on him, and killing him wouldn't bring back everyone that had died to the killing game. Besides, he knew it was an even greater punishment to allow Kano to live, after all the man was welcoming death in the first place; killing him would only grant his wish. Taking in one last breath, the teen finally found the strength to lift his head once more.

"So what did you do with him?" he asked out of curiosity.

With a sigh, Makoto managed to answer "He's place under Mikan's care in the infirmary. Kyoko wants to interrogate him, but Mikan claims he's too mentally unstable to answer any questions."

Unknown to the two, at the same time, a young man with dark brown hair was silently traversing through the hallways. His presence went strangely unnoticed and his footsteps barely made any sounds. Looking forward, he spotted his destination being none other than the infirmary. He glanced toward the security camera with his heterochromatic red and green eyes. Pulling out a small back remote, with a simple press of a button, he shut off the camera with ease. But before he could open the door, it swung open to reveal Mikan.

She was looking over paperwork until she felt herself collide into the man's chest. She yelped as she nearly fell, haven been prevent from doing so by the young man steadying her. Expecting it to be one of the Future Foundation members, she lifted up her head to give her thanks. But the moment she did this, her purple eyes widened in shock.

"Hajime?" she whispered, both in disbelief and nervousness.

Hajime mouth's twitched into a small smile as he replied "Hey Mikan, it's been a while."

"What are you doing here? I don't want to assume anything but you didn't come with four of us when we joined Future Foundation. Did you change your mind?" the nurse asked in her timid tone.

With his smile gone, the brunette answered "No, I still stand by my decision that Makoto would be better off without my abilities. I'm here for personal reasons. I did some digging and found out about Kano Sachio. I want to know what exactly would possess him to do this. It would be a great help if you pretend you never saw me."

Mikan frowned slightly but nodded her head in understanding. Deciding to at least help out her friend, she handed over Kano's medical sheets as she explained his medical condition.  
Hajime smiled in gratefulness before entering the infirmary. Although the businessman's mental state concerned him, he was certain he could still acquire information. With his mind set, he continued to his destination.

It only took him a few seconds to locate Kano's bed. He narrowed his eyes upon seeing the twenty-eight year-old dressed in a medical gown and one of his wrists handcuffed to the sidebar to prevent escape. He easily noticed how the purple-haired man was muttering an assortment of things under his breath whilst staring off into space; one of those things being the constant mention of Leon Kuwata. Deciding to interrupt the scene, Hajime cleared his throat, prompting the man to quickly twist his head toward him.

Upon seeing his new guest, a crazed grin spread on Kano's face. His blue eyes were shining with excitement, much akin to the one those that often danced across Junko's crazed eyes. He tried to get out of his bed, only to chuckle when he was stopped by his handcuffs.

"Whoops, forgot where I was." he stated in nonchalant tone, "So what brings the Izuru Kamukura to visit a crazy man like me?"

"My name is Hajime Hinata." the brunette replied in a stern yet slightly annoyed tone.

Kano simply shrugged his shoulders before responding "Eh, to-mat-o, to-ma-to. Basically the same thing. Point is, there's no way you would visit me out the kindness of your heart. I may be unhinged now, but I'm not stupid."

Hajime narrowed his eyes. He wasn't annoyed with the businessman but rather bored by his antics. He predicted him to interact with such strange mannerisms just from one glance at the medical papers. Pushing aside his boredom for the moment, he lifted his wristwatch up and pressed a few buttons. Fond thoughts filled his mind when he saw the holographic image of a teenage girl with pink hair appear. He ignored the taunting smirk he received from the twenty-eight year-old. Without any hesitation, he asked the AI to boot up her lie detector program.

"Alright Kano, I want the truth. I won't have any lingering Remnants of Despair walking about so I need to discern if you are one. Now tell me, what made you hold a killing game and encouraged your employees to silence anyone who had discovered your plans?" he stated.

Kano grinned as his blue eyes glanced between both the AI and the man before him.

"Nice AI girlfriend you got there." he teased before continuing, "Well since I would end up dying from boredom otherwise, although death for me would be wonderful, I feel nice enough to tell you the story. So sit back and listen Mr. Ultimate Talent because in order for you to understand my reasoning, I have to go back to my childhood and the glorious age that was known as The Tragedy."

 **One Year and Nine Months Before Rebirth**

Seven year-old Kano sighed as he stared into space, barely acknowledging the books laid out before him. The only thing that snapped him out of his thoughts was a switch slapping down in front of him. His blue eyes widened in fear as he took a quick glance up at his private tutor glaring down at him. Without a word, he swallowed nervously as he forced himself to pick up a book. He did his best to keep his breathing calm, still sensing the tutor's gaze burning into the back of his head. Though unfortunately, after a few seconds, his eyes began to droop in boredom.

It was a constant pattern for him. Study, become bored, get threatened to be punished, study more, become bored once more. To the young boy, his life was an assembly line; especially with the expectations placed on him. He nearly yawned in exhaustion till he remembered his tutor was still wielding the switch in his hand. But much to his relief, a distraction to his studies was provided in the form of his father. He lifted up his head to see the the businessman with slicked back purple hair talking on a cellphone as he entered the room. It only took a few moments for the older man to finish up his call before hanging up. Kano grew nervous when he saw his father's cold and strict gaze focus on him.

"Tell me, how is Kano's studies coming along?" his father asked.

"The child continues to stare off in a daze. I've caught him daydreaming three times today alone." the tutor answered.

The businessman sighed out of annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. Without warning he slammed his hands down on the desk in front of his son, causing the young boy to jolt back in fear.  
Kano groaned as his father proceeded to scold him. He could remember when such scoldings use to frighten him, bringing him to tears. But now, he only found himself bored from receiving the scoldings so much.

"You need to understand your responsibilities. You are the heir to the Sachio line and must uphold this family's business philosophy. You are to become the Ultimate Businessman, do you understand." his father said.

The seven year-old clenched his fists slightly. He knew his father's last sentence was not a question, it was a command. Knowing he had no choice in the matter, he nodded his head.

"Good." the businessman responded as he straightened back up, "Now come along. I have a scheduled meeting with Towa Group and I want you to watch and learn from it."

The young boy resisted the urge to complain, knowing he would only be punished if he voiced them. Without any arguments, he wordlessly stood up from his desk and followed his father out of the room.

Later that day, Kano sat in the corner of them room, not bothering to pay attention to the discussion between his father and Tokuichi Towa. Their words seemed to drone only, only appearing as white noise within his mind. Allowing his mind to drift, his blue eyes wondered about the room. Nothing had quite his interest until he noticed the door silently creak up. He raised a brow with he saw a girl with green hair poke her head out from the other side of the door. A pit of worry developed in his stomach when he noticed the girl smiled whilst beckoning him. He couldn't explain it, but he found the girl to be strangely unnerving.

Seeing his only other choice was to remain in the room with a discussion he wasn't paying attention to, the seven year-old managed to sneak out of the room. Once free of his containment, he found himself staring into wide set of green eyes. Not expecting the girl to be so close, he yelped slightly as he jumped back. But because of this, he was able to finally notice the girl was seated in a wheelchair.

"Monaca has never seen you around here before. Monaca just loves to meet new people." the green-haired girl said in a sickeningly sweet tone.

Kano only grew more unnerved by the child. Assuming that her name was Monaca, he found it creepy how she referred to herself in the third person.

"Don't be shy." Monaca said as she grasped the boy's hands within hers, "What's your name? I would like to know more about you, tell Monaca all about yourself."

The young boy pulled his hands away immediately as if he were burnt. He swallowed nervously before introducing himself. He nearly paled when he saw the girl flash him an eerie smile.

"Kano, you look like you're unhappy. Monaca can tell by your eyes." she stated with a happy hum.

Kano blinked in shock. His mouth easily hung open as the girl before him read his expression like a book. It both surprised and relieved him that someone finally understood he disliked his rich and peaceful life. He craved for something, anything to shatter the mold of his life. While Monaca still creeped him out he couldn't help but smile. In a sense, he saw her as a kindred spirit for understanding his plight.

"Guess it would be nice to vent about it. You don't mind do you?" he asked whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

"Please, tell Monaca what's on your mind." she smiled once more.

With a small sigh, he began voicing his thoughts on his life. It surprised him how he was willingly baring his soul to a girl he had just met. He chalked it up to the strange charisma she carried. No longer acting on logic, he went into detail about the process his father forced him through. The many memories were still fresh in his mind. Forced to read till his eyes were bloodshot and his mind numb. Practicing skills of persuasion and risk punishment should he not utilize the skills properly. Barely granted any rest or food in exchange in mastering the tactics of a businessman. All these factors were memorized in his mind and he hated it.

"I just want things to change. I'm tired of being the Ultimate Businessman. I just want something different than the life I have now." he finished.

His blue eyes slid closed as he inhaled deeply, feeling that a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Silence lingered in the air until he felt two hands firmly grasped the sides of his face. The touch seemed both gentle and harsh at the same time. Opening his eyes, he found himself once more staring into Monaca's kind yet eerie green eyes.

"You know who you should see. I think you should meet Big Sis Junko." Monaca suggested.

"Big Sis Junko?" Kano questioned with a raised brow.

The green-haired girl nodded her head in reply. Without a word, she released Kano's head and made her wheelchair start moving down the hallway. She only smiled as she beckoned the boy with her hand before disappearing around the corner.  
The seven year-old bit his lip, wondering if he should follow. Glancing back at the door where his father's meeting still took place, he quickly made up his mind. Without any hesitation, he quickly ran down the hall, seeking out the mysterious girl.

He barely had any idea of his destination as he navigated the maze-like halls. His only source of guidance was the glimpse of a wheelchair that constantly disappeared around corners. After a few minutes of traversing hallways, he finally located Monaca in front of an open door. He saw her giggle before disappearing inside the room room. He swallowed nervously as he felt the air grow tense. Hesitantly, the young boy slowly entered the room. Inside the sight made him freeze. He saw a teenage girl in a school uniform with long strawberry-blonde hair held back in pigtails leaning down and excitedly examining a small black and white bear.

Before he could consider backing out the room, Monaca announced his presence. His breath hitched when the teenage girl spun toward him. He found himself both frightened and drawn in by her psychotic blue eyes.

"Man I just keep meeting all sorts of people!" the teenager said with a demented grin, "So who would you happen to be?"

"Um, Kano. Kano Sachio." the purple-haired boy answered nervously.

"Sachio, as in heir to Sachio Construction, one of the most prominent businesses in Japan right?" the girl questioned.

Kano couldn't help but gasp. He knew his family was well known, but he wasn't expecting a stranger to immediately conclude his connection with the company.

Seeing his reaction, the strawberry blonde flashed smirk before replying "Based on that dorky face of yours, looks like I hit the nail on the coffin. Name's Junko Enoshima by the way."

The young boy could only stare speechlessly. He still couldn't understand why Monaca wanted to introduce him to Junko. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a bit frightened by the teen's presence. She seemed kind, but her smile seemed to carry a strange sense of ill intent, causing her to come off as a bit demented to the boy.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Monaca urged in a singing tone "Don't be shy, Kano. Tell Big Sis Junko about how much you hate your life. Tell her how much you hate how boring it is."

Once again, much to his surprise, Kano find himself bending to the young girl's will. He considered it strange how the girl could easily creep into his mind with her words, prompting him to happily lower his guard and accept all suggestions. But he ignored this thought for the moment, more focused on obeying her orders. As he voiced his thoughts to Junko, he noticed how she simply smiled with her blue eyes narrowing in delight.

"Oh, never did I think I would encounter a kindred soul." the teen said in a dramatic tone, "I know too well of your plight, feeling as if everything is scripted. Boredom is such a terrible thing to experience!"

She snickered to herself as she knelt down behind the child. Her grin grew into a more demented one as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"But don't worry," her tone took on a much darker tone, "I have the perfect fix for it."

She felt victorious when she noticed the boy's eyes light up in interest. She could see potential in the child, especially as the heir to a prominent family business. With an amused chuckle, she tapped her index finger against Kano's nose, giving off a playful nature.

"Keep an eye on the news broadcast for the next few days. I'll guarantee you will be delighted by what you will see." she began with wink, "Trust me, it will be the the answer to your boredom."

Kano inhaled sharply whilst his heart pounded frantically. The chance to escape boredom, he didn't think it was possible. Latching onto Junko's words with a small bit of hope, he happily nodded his head in agreement.

The next few days, the seven year-old kept a constant watch on news broadcast. Each day, he awaited in excitement for the fated moment. Much to his relief, he even managed to convince his father to allow him to watch the news with the excuse it would teach him more about his skills as a businessman. Now he didn't have to worry about the older man scolding him for not studying. Each day was the same, sit in front of the TV, looking for anything out of the ordinary. But much to his disappointment, everything seemed normal and boredom was settling in once more.

An exhausted sigh escaped his mouth as he trudged over to the TV. He wanted to give up, but the hope for something different kept him determined. So with this mindset, he turned on the news. Everything seemed normal, the news as usual. The child groaned in disappointment. He was about to shut off the TV until the sound of a breaking news announcement reached his ears.

"We're receiving intel of a horrible event unfolded at well esteemed Japanese high school, Hope's Peak Academy. Warning, the footage you're about to see contains disturbing imagery. Viewer discretion is advised." the reporter stated.

With that, the image on the screen changed. Kano felt his heart nearly stopped as he was greeted with the sight of people being massacred by the students of the Reserve Course. His blue eyes widened in shock as he stared unblinkingly at the screen. He knew he should be horrified like the reporter claimed, but he couldn't. Instead, he was amazed by it. The blood, the violence, the slaughtering; all of it was so drastically different from what he knew. With every kill he watched, very slowly, a demented smile formed on his face.

His heart began to race in excitement; his body trembling with joy. Finally his happiness reached a climax when the killings ended with the Reserve Course committing mass suicide. Kano took in shaky breath, his blue eyes now filled with insanity. He never tore his gaze away from the screen and his grin remained on his face. For the first time in his life, he wasn't bored.


	4. Chapter 4 - Guardian

Chapter 4

"So in other words, Junko was the one to first implant the idea into your head. Creating yet another pawn of despair." Hajime stated in a cold tone.

Kano shrugged his shoulders as replied "Personally I still don't see myself as a pawn of despair. I mean technically conflict is an aspect of despair, but then again, it was only one aspect of despair I liked. So would that does it really count then?"

Seeing the brunette narrow his eyes, he sighed whilst leaning his head back.

"Well whatever, I don't care anymore. Think whatever you want of me. Isn't as if it matters anymore." he said with a defeated sigh.

Hajime raised a brow as he studied the man before him. Out of all the responses he expected, the response of defeat wasn't one of them. With how much Kano was obsessed with the concept of conflict, he believed the former businessman would have desperately clung onto the chance of regaining his excitement despite his failure. In a sense, that was what separated him from Junko. Whilst Junko took her obsession beyond the grave, Kano seemed resigned to his fate. Shifting his thoughts back to the interrogation, the forty-one year-old moved onto the next set of questions.

"According to the reports on this case, not only did you subject fifteen teenagers to a killing game, about a month ago you had your head of security subjected to an execution. I want to know exactly why you chose these individuals." he stated before laying out the photos of the victims.

Suddenly, all remnants of defeat disappeared from Kano's face. His eyes widened as he stared at the photo of the security guard. Without warning, he twisted his head to the side; his teeth clenched in rage and fear.

"Shut up! Why are you even here?!" he shouted, prompting Hajime to open his mouth to answer only to be interrupted, "You don't need to rub it in! I know you told me it would never work! I know you told me that I would only be ruining lives! I know, I lost! So stop tormenting me with this fact!"

Haijime didn't utter a single word as he watched the man dig his fingers into his hair with his eyes screwed shut. Taking a quick look over the medical papers Mikan had given him, he noticed they mentioned cases of Kano having both visual and auditory hallucinations. While he expected such a symptom when he was informed of the man's unstable sanity, it also intrigued him.

Deciding to investigate further, he pointed out "Kano, you are aware I'm the only one in this room correct?"

Upon hearing this, Kano's eyes snapped wide open. His expression seemed lost and confused as he gazed around the room. From the corner of his eye, sometimes he would see a man covered in blood with a bullet wound in his head, glaring hatefully at him. But when he would quickly turn toward the man in a panic, he would only see no one there. He remained silent for a few more seconds before laughter began to rumble from his throat. His laughter grew louder as he threw his head back with his hand pressed against his forehead.

"Of course he's not there! Just my insane mind playing tricks on me!" he said in a psychotic tone, "And I thought being with the despair of surviving my failed execution wasn't enough. No, my mind has to toss ghosts at me!"

"Based on your dialogue, I'm betting you're referring to Takechi Kichiro, your head of security. Is there any reason why you think he's haunting you?" Haijime asked, pressing further, "I doubt you're feeling guilt over his death, especially since you don't feel any guilt over nine deaths you caused in the killing game. Because of this, I'm convinced your reasons for killing him run deeper than just providing him as an example to the rest of your employees."

"Hmm, people weren't kidding when they said your intelligence surpassed that of a regular human." Kano chuckled as he rest his head on his hand, "I can see why Junko took an interest in you in the first place. The way you view the world is so intriguing. You're almost interesting as Kuwata, but not quite since I love seeing what kind of conflict I can draw forth from his troubled mind. Nonetheless, I'll humor you as I don't want this discussion to end. You're right about my reasons for killing Kichiro run deeper than first glance. You see, he wasn't just my head of security, he was my guardian."

 **One Year and Five Months Before Rebirth**

Seven year-old Kano watched in amazement from his father's office window the chaos that lay below. It had been four months since The Tragedy at Hope's Peak Academy. The world was now consumed in despair as people were fighting and slaughtering each other on the streets. Turning behind him, he could see his mother and father in a heated argument over what they should do. His mother wanted to seek out safety while his father wanted to salvage what was left of his crumbling business. There was no doubt in his mind that despair had seized both of them. Yet all he could do is smile, amused by the conflict that his parents spawned.

"This business means nothing if there's no one alive to run it! I'm telling you, we need to leave before those savages trap us here! Don't you care about the well-being of your family?!" Kano's mother shouted.

"Of course I care, which is why I'm trying to keep this company afloat! These worldwide riots will eventually blow over! When that happens I want to ensure that there will still be something there for us!" the businessman snapped back.

"You honestly think this is just a phase?!" the white-haired woman exclaimed as she swung out her arm to the window, "Open your damn eyes! The world has gone mad, people are dying! There is simply no recovering from this! You are fighting for a lost cause!"

The two adults argued for a bit longer till finally it ended with Kano's father storming out of the room. Kano's mother let out an exhale of frustration, directing her attention to her child. She frowned upon noticing his gaze was once more glued to the office window. It was heartbreaking for her to see the young child witness such atrocities, especially at such a young age. Without a word, she walked over to her son and gently tugged him away from the window. Unnoticed by her, for a few brief seconds, the young boy frowned upon being pulled away from his source of entertainment.

"I'm sorry you had to see that sweetie." the woman sighed whilst gently stroking the child's hair in a calming manner, "It's just your father can be such a thick skull."

"It's okay mom, it didn't bother me." Kano replied honestly.

Misinterpreting his words as attempted comfort, Kano's mother sighed before pulling her son into a tight hug. But suddenly, without warning, alarms began going off. Panic flared through her body as two security guards dashed into the room, shouting about how the rioters were now swarming the building, attacking and killing anything in sight. She bit her lip as her blue eyes glanced down at her son. In that instant, she made up her mind. Holding firmly onto her child's wrist, she dashed out of the room, making her way for the stairway. She didn't care what her husband said; she was determined to save her child.

Gunfire and glass breaking filled her ears as she darted down the stairs. Her heart pounded frantically as the sound of screams filled her ears. She was about to reach the next set of stairs until an explosion set off a few floors below. The woman screamed as the stairway crumbled underneath her, causing both her and her son to plummet toward the ground.

Kano coughed as his senses slowly returned, unsure how long he was unconscious for. All he could feel was pain coursing throughout his body and something tightly gripping his body. Blinking open his eyes, he found his face pressed up against his mother's chest, quickly learning she had tried to shelter him from the fall. Titling his head upward, he could see his mother was starting to come to, blood streaming down her face from head trauma.

"Kano?" the silver-haired woman rasped, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine mom, I'm just sore." he groaned in reply.

Seeing her child was still alive, she weakly pushed herself into a sitting position. Unfortunately, this resulted in pain to shoot through her body, causing her to cry out. Her eyes widened as she felt a pain in her chest, it was in that instant she knew she had a broken rib. Not only that, but based on her shallow and pained breathing, it had pierced her lung. Fear coursed through her as she glanced down at her son. If she died, then he surely would too. Hoping to get her child to safety she grabbed onto his wrist and guided him through the burning wreckage, fighting through the pain.

It took a few minutes, but she managed to find a way out. Yet before her hopes could be raised, the sound of a gunshot filled the air. Her eyes widened as she collapsed to her knees, blood now seeping from her chest. The mother turned toward her son, ready to shout at him for flee. But once she did this, she froze at the sight she saw. Instead of a face of horror, she saw nothing but a smile painted on Kano's face.  
The seven year-old couldn't stop smiling as he watched his mother collapse on the ground. The sight of his mother desperately trying to struggle to stay alive was thrilling to him.

Though he didn't get to enjoy the sight for long as snickers filled his ears. Glancing upward, he could see psychotic killers before him. His breath stopped as one of them pressed their gun up against his forehead. His instincts were screaming at him to be afraid as these people intended to claim his life. But no matter what, he couldn't find himself afraid. Instead his grin grew larger as his fascination grew.  
The gunman let out a psychotic laugh as they got ready to fire. Their finger began to press against the trigger until, suddenly, a bullet ripped through their head and killed them instantly.

The remaining killers immediately began looking around, seeking out the shooter, only for another one to be shot dead. Confusion filled their minds until another one fell from a fist colliding into their face. Standing before them was a spiky-haired young man wearing a black tank top, torn pants, and combat boots. His olive-green eyes were narrowed and his body in a battle ready stance. One of the killers charged for him, but he managed to dodge them and twist their arm, disarming them. Taking advantage of this, he quickly fished a knife from his belt and stabbed it into his opponent's back.

Kano's mother was stunned as she watched the killers drop one by one. It wasn't long as the final killer was slain much to her relief. She let out a pained cough as her savior turned toward her.

"Mam, are you alright?" the man asked, kneeling down to check her wounds.

"Not good I'm afraid." she answered weakly, her breath becoming more pained and slower, "Who are you?"

"Takechi Kichiro. My partner, Rokuro Moto, have been rescuing those that have come under attack of despair followers." he explained as his eyes flicked down to the woman's wounds, "We might still be able to help you. If we hurry, I'm we can find you someone that can treat your injuries."

Upon hearing this, the silver-haired woman shook her head. She knew it was already too late, she could feel her life already slipping away. Her saddened blue-eyes glanced over to her son, noticing he was no longer smiling but staring at her emotionless.

"Please, protect my child. Don't let him become another victim to this hellish nightmare." she pleaded.

With that said, her body slumped as the last of her strength left her. She let out one last pained breath as her life finally slipped away, leaving her blue-eyes lifelessly staring up toward the sky.  
Takechi clenched his teeth in frustration. When he had seen the woman get shot, he had hoped he could still save her. But now, he could see he was wrong. With no other choice, he reached out and slid down the woman's eyelids, hiding away her lifeless eyes. Recalling her final words, he turned toward Kano.

"Well looks like you'll be coming with me. What's your name?" he said.

The purple-haired boy remained silent for a few moments, glancing between the man before him and his mother's deceased body.

Finally after a few seconds, he spoke up "Kano. Kano Sachio."

Takechi slightly frowned in concern, finding it strange the boy wasn't too torn up by his mother's death. In fact, he found the boy to be quite calm, the complete opposite of how he expected him to react. Deciding to chalk it up to shock, he brushed aside his concerns for the moment. Making sure there were no more psychos in the area, he easily scooped up the seven year-old into his arms and took off. He managed to run with swift speeds, easily reaching an empty alley way. Upon arriving, dropping down in front of him was a teenage boy with long black hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing a brown trench code and a sniper rifle resting on his back.

The teenage boy quirked a brow at the child in Takechi's arms; his amber eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What's with the kid?" he asked warily, his glare causing the child to flinch a bit.

"This is Kano Sachio." Takechi replied as he set the seven year-old back on the ground, "He was one of the people those sickos had attacked. His mother didn't make it and asked that I take care of him."

After finishing his explanation he knelt down next to Kano with his hand extended out toward the teen, stating "Kano, this is Rokuro Moto, former Ultimate Sniper."

"Former, what are you saying he's terrible at his talent?" the purple-haired child questioned.

Rokuro sneered as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Kid if I sucked at my job, you would be dead." he bitterly commented, "I'm a former Ultimate because there's no need for the status. Ultimates were created to identify potential candidates for Hope's Peak Academy. In fact, I was already set to attend next semester if it weren't for the whole world going to crap. So to sum things up, question my skills again and I might just allow one of the freaks to snuff you out."

Takechi frowned at the teen's interaction with young boy. He knew the sniper was wary of people; too many attempts on his life had resulted in him to be cautious and lose trust in others. But despite this, he didn't understand why he would cast suspicions on a child. Getting back on his feet, he suggested that they should return to their shelter. It was getting dark and it wouldn't be good to be caught in the dark with so many potential killers roaming the streets. So without a word, he kept a firm grip on Kano's arm to ensure he wouldn't lose him before heading back to the hideout.

As they traversed the abandoned streets, Kano couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander. Now that he was on ground level, he could see the chaos at a better view. His blue eyes seemed psychotic as he studied every deceased body and blood puddle on him. All different sights and experiences he was unable to have with his normal life, now he could access with them with ease. He couldn't help but smile excitedly, thankful for Junko introducing conflict into his life. If he could experience more amazing sights, he hoped the world would stay plunged in despair forever.

 **Nine Months Before Rebirth**

Kano had now been under the care of Rokuro and Takechi for eight months now. He was now eight years-old and dressed in a dirty blue sweater vest, a white shirt, and black shorts. He sighed in boredom as he sat in the shelter which was an underground bunker. Both Rokuro and Takechi were out to fetch more supplies for the hideout, having not brought him along to keep him out of danger. This decision deeply annoyed him. He wanted to go outside and watch the wonderful conflict despair had created; he didn't want to stay cooped inside a room with no windows nor a TV to view the outside world.

"If I wanted to stay cooped up bored, I would go back to my normal life." he grumbled in annoyance.

Silently he bit his lip whilst glancing at the ladder leading to the outside. His yearning to see conflict fed into temptation to disobey his guardians. Unable to fight off the urge any longer, he climbed out of the ladder and pushed open the door panel. Once outside, he immediately sucked in a sharp breath, relieved to feel the cold breeze on his face.

"About time I got out of their. The shelter is so suffocating." he muttered to himself as he began seeking out any signs of conflict.

For quite some time, his search had been fruitless. He snarled in frustration, tugging on his purple hair. Over the months he had noticed the fighting had quieted down. Not many people were out in the open as there once were.

"Ugh, what does it take for a guy to find some conflict around here?! You would think with the world in despair, there would still be countless number of people fighting each other. Them all hiding just makes things boring." he groaned.

Just as he was about to give up his search until the sound of screams reached his ears. With an excited and demented grin, he immediately took off in the direction of the screams. It wasn't long till he was greeted with three people wearing Monokuma masks beating a poor young man that had been unfortunate to be caught out in the open. He took in shaky breaths of happiness, barely able to contain them as he watched the man flail desperately against his attackers. But much to his disappointment, the attackers were able to finish off the man within minutes.

The child groaned with his forehead pressed up against the car he was hiding behind. He considered the display of conflict he had just witnessed too short and desperately craved more. Deciding to seek out any nearby fights, he lifted up his head. But once he did this, his eyes widened when he saw the despair followers had spotted him. In that instant, his heart raced both in fear and joy. He was happy the conflict from the attackers were continuing their conflict, but he wouldn't be able to enjoy the conflict if he were dead.

"Honestly, I just want to enjoy this without the risk of dying." he grumbled in annoyance.

With no other choice, he took off running. Kano took in frantic breaths, hearing the attackers trailing not too far behind. His blue-eyes frantically searched his surroundings, searching for any way to escape his pursuers. Finally, from the corner of his eyes, he spotted a narrow pathway. Big enough for him to squeeze into yet small enough to ensure the psychopaths could not follow. Without any hesitation, he darted for the pathway. Once he was safe, he turned around to see the attackers desperately reach out their arms toward him, some even swinging knives.

Kano couldn't help but smirk in amusement. As much as he wanted to stay and watch the conflict before him, he knew he couldn't afford to stay. With one last laugh of amusement, he took off running, finally losing his pursuers. No longer under the threat of being attacked, the eight year-old frowned as he roamed the empty streets. He knew if he didn't find shelter, he would only risk being attacked once again. Taking a quick look at his surroundings, he managed to spot an abandoned apartment building.

"No one would think to search such an obvious location." he muttered to himself, "With so many rooms, this will be a great place to hide."

Making sure no one was around, he quickly ran up to the front door.

"I just hope I won't have to stay here for long." he sighed whilst opening the door, "Rokuro will have my head if he learned I left the shelter. Honestly, he can be such a stick in the mud."

Without another word, he made his way up the stairs. He picked the nearest room and entered it. Inside he greeted with the sight of a near demolished room with broken furniture, torn curtains, and ripped rugs.

"Suppose it'll do." Kano commented before yawning, feeling the exhaustion from having to run settling in.

Not feeling comfortable with sleeping out in the open, he made his way over to the closest, making sure he was well hidden before falling asleep.

He had no idea how long he had slept for when he had finally awoken. His body ached in pain as he slowly sat up, regretting sleeping in such a cramped space. Everything seemed normal until he noticed the sound of voices he didn't recognize. His heart nearly stopped as he held his breath; he wasn't alone in the apartment. He mentally berated himself as he tried standing up in order to peek out of the closest. Unfortunately, he lost his footing and fell to the ground, creating a loud crash when his body collided into a few cleaning supplies.

Kano's face paled in fear; the sound of footsteps pounding toward his direction. He found himself both torn in two emotionally. Part of him was excited to see more conflict, the other part of him feared dying. Unable to make up his mind on what to do, he remained frozen in place. Within seconds, the closest door swung open. The child immediately sucked in a sharp breath, his body trembling as he found himself face to face with a terrified red-headed woman aiming a handgun at him.


End file.
